Progressive Christian Group Rejects Gay Rights Ad

An unusual controversy is brewing between one of the nation's largest progressive Christian organizations and a New York-based group that advocates for gay rights.

On Mother's Day, Intersections International launched a campaign to encourage churches to actively welcome gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christians to worship. As part of the effort, the group created a video that shows a young boy with two moms walking into church. Nervous, the moms and their son get unfriendly stares from those in the pews, but they are welcomed by the pastor, who says that "everyone" can come to his church. The video ends with a call to church leaders to "believe out loud."

Campaign organizers tried to buy space for the video on the web site and email list of Sojourners, a Washington D.C.-based magazine and Christian organization that describes itself as progressive and social-justice oriented. It's leaders, including President the Rev. Jim Wallis, have often spoken out against discrimination against the GLBT community, but Sojourners refused to run the ad.

"I can’t imagine Sojourners turning down an ad that called for welcome of poor children into our churches. So why is this boy different?" said the Rev. Robert Chase, director of Intersections International, in a column Saturday.

"Does the organization not really believe in welcome for 'everyone' in our churches or do they believe everyone is welcome, but they are afraid to 'believe out loud' for fear of alienating some constituents?" Chase, a United Church of Christ minster, added.

After fielding calls from Chase, Sojourners posted a response Monday afternoon on its web site. The organization, wrote spokesman Tim King, wants to "engage first and foremost in dialogue on difficult issues" but does not accept ads on such issues. The post showed Intersections Internationals' video -- embedded for free -- to "promote a positive dialogue among Christians who might disagree theologically."

In an interview, King said it is "unfortunate" that "issues of sexuality are generally controversial for lots of Christians."

Wallis posted a separate column on the group's web site Monday evening.

"Like the larger church, Sojourners’ constituency, board, and staff are not of one mind on all of these issues. However, we at Sojourners seek to foster honest, fair, and loving dialogue among Christians," he wrote.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

Comments

[Freddie27]

09:54 AM on 06/11/2011

Christians promote tolerance and love to all? Don't make me laugh!

[Dean77]

09:43 AM on 06/11/2011

Love the sinner, hate the sin.

[New Yorker]

02:10 PM on 06/07/2011

All are welcome in the House of God. Only those who insult God, and Spit in His Face will be excluded. Sin is easily that and worse, so sin must be repented, disavowed, and the sinner must seek to Never Sin Agaian. That even goes for sins the sinner Really, Really Loves, and Believes he was Born To Do. Kapeesch ?

Christians are NOT Homo-a-Phobic, Christians are SIN-a Phobics.

Now do you understand ?

[Freddie27]

09:54 AM on 06/11/2011

Really? I thought Jesus included all, sinners to boot, in his ministry and God's love. Please go and actually read the bible.

[meijiame]

01:22 PM on 06/02/2011

'Judge not, lest ye be judged' Or 'Whatever you did to the least of mine, you did it unto Me' - weren't those in your book of ancient superstitions somewhere? The worst thing about Christians is the continual and unrelenting hypocrisy that the rest of us have to endure when listening to them pontificate on just about anything.

[brokerallen]

03:37 AM on 05/30/2011

I especially enjoy the passage in scripture were Jesus chases the gays around the temple with a stick. Maybe that's not in the bible. Maybe it was a greedy televangelist that wanted me to donate to stop gay marriage.

[saintjoshuax2]

11:05 AM on 05/28/2011

There's need to be an advertisement where a bible-believing Christian is walking to the front row of a science conference. We call this movement, "Think Out Loud".

[fruitsalad620]

02:55 PM on 06/05/2011

sweetie, soon as you can advance actual scientific rationales, as opposed to superstitions, at a scientific conference, you can be assured the scientists will welcome you with as open arms as "publish or perish" will allow them to. Until then, you will be laughed out. Not because you're not being allowed to practice your First Amendment rights, but because you are not adhering to the rules of the profession. Like a carpenter attempting to build a table with only a rock.

[guitarchik816]

11:25 PM on 05/23/2011

I've never understood the church's hate for gay people. Or anybody. I'm sure it's been said here already, but I'll state again... if you're going to call yourself a Christian, you need to understand what it actually means. If Jesus was around right now, he'd be hanging out with the gay, desolate, drug addicted populations just as he first ministered to the prostitutes and the tax collectors. He wouldn't want anything to do with these people.

He's not a snob. Church people are.

[meanguy]

11:53 AM on 06/08/2011

'the church'...WHICH church?
i've never understood the Left's constant use of generalization and the sorst kind of stereotyping...is it some kind of requirement?
If Christ was on earth right now, I'm GUESSING, since i don't claim to be an authority on what He would be doing...but i'm pretty sure He wouldn't be 'hanging around' with anyone; I'm GUESSING he'd be continuing His earlier minisrty. He spoke often of being about His Father's work...of course He ministered to those who needed Him the most; but He never said "Do what you want, it's all good"...He said "Go and sin no more" , with love, and he meant that for EVERYONE

[jnw147]

11:00 AM on 05/19/2011

The church must learn to embrace all of God's children!

[Radical Logic]

05:23 AM on 05/23/2011

or be declared a terrorist organization. Take your pic. Religion can be evil and most irrelevant.

[meanguy]

11:55 AM on 06/08/2011

do you even KNOW the definition of a 'terrorist organization', or fo you just reflexivley spew hyperbole? I'm guessing that you got the name 'radical logic' musch the same way that a 350 lb biker is sometimes called "Tiny"

[Volantiad]

10:18 AM on 05/19/2011

My Dad and his wife are Unitarian Universalists who belong to a declared "Welcoming Congregation." They actively seek out people who might've been denied welcome at other churches so that they have a community and a place of prayer/study/service. If they have a website, they might put the ad on it.

[SteveDenver]

02:02 AM on 05/16/2011

Forget about it! HERE is a wonderful ad on equality and acceptance for same-gender couples. Björn Borg (yes, the tennis star) is a mogul in Sweden. Think Nike, Calvin Klein clothing and Match.com rolled into one. His ad "Love For All" is absolutely inspiring and beautifully realized:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLpfHNuhZbk

[LynnW49]

06:30 PM on 05/16/2011

That is excellent. Thanks for posting.

[Volantiad]

01:02 PM on 05/19/2011

Cleaver, beautiful and uplifting: thank you so much for posting the link. I never would have heard of it otherwise.

[rsttho557949]

10:14 AM on 05/15/2011

2 lies from the Pit of Hell: Salvation IS NOT conditional and Jesus is liberal about gay immorality.

Satan, in his various forms (liberal "christian" churches, seductive philosophies and the influence of the media) has convinced billions that folks can drop their guard about salvation because Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He has convinced billions that God's Word has changed and that He has become "progressive in His thinking" and has caught up with the times. He has also got Christians to believe that there are alternative roads back to God and not to offend anyone taking those wrong turns back to him. What type of creature is it that will intentionally steer people away from the truth and towards death? Those teaching liberal philosophies in Christianity, are, really, no different that a suicide bomber that callously takes the lives of innocent people. He/she is a murderer and is not different than an assassin or suicide bomber. These people aren’t about “love” they are about death!

[rankinkrl]

05:07 PM on 05/15/2011

My minister says bring them all in-- drunks, adulterers, fornicators, liars, blasphemers, thieves, homosexuals, everyone. I'll preach to all of them about salvation and the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ.

[rsttho557949]

05:21 PM on 05/15/2011

I couldn't agree more! Bu when you do bring them in, mkae sure to remind them that salvation is CONDITIONAL and that they must do their part so they will not lose thier salvation. The sin with liberal Christianity is that it gives corrupt man the impression that since Jesus died on the Cross all is forgiven and you can continue to sin. Just showing up in church isn't enough.

[Radical Logic]

05:23 AM on 05/23/2011

Religion = KoolAid

[Bobrobert]

12:00 AM on 05/15/2011

God does love everyone...

:-)

[JDuck]

10:42 AM on 05/16/2011

Indeed!

Why that simple truth makes some insanely angry I will never understand. :(

[gemmax]

11:29 AM on 05/22/2011

Yes, He does. We are his children and He wants us all to come back into His family.

[NVEd]

03:52 PM on 05/14/2011

It makes no difference who they are, all should be welcome in the house of God.

[SteveDenver]

02:06 AM on 05/16/2011

It seems that very rarely are churches "God's house."

[gemmax]

11:30 AM on 05/22/2011

God is not only found in a church.

[bearchao]

01:21 AM on 05/14/2011

A bit of news for the bible thumpers on this thread that insist that being gay is a choice: if you yourself are fighting homosexual urges, you are gay. You can choose to live your life as a heterosexual, but you are gay. You can say you're not a "sinner" because you don't act on your homosexual urges, but you are gay. A truly heterosexual person does not constantly fight homosexual urges. You are gay. Accept and embrace your sexuality. It will set you free.

[eddy joe]

04:03 PM on 05/14/2011

Are you saying everyone that is homosexual was born that way? That no one chooses it as a lifestyle?

[bearchao]

06:24 PM on 05/14/2011

Yes. That is exactly what I'm saying. I never chose my attraction to men. Why would anyone consciously choose a life of discrimination, hate, loss of family and loved ones? Can you honestly say that you, as a heterosexual, if that is what you are, could ever choose to live a gay "lifestyle"? Could you be choose to be intimate with a same-sex partner? If that's the case, are you not choosing an opposite-sex partner because it makes life so much easier? Because your family accepts that "choice"? I could no more choose to be intimate with a woman than a heterosexual could choose to be intimate with a same-sex partner. Why is that so difficult for some to understand?

[David Silvey]

02:53 PM on 05/15/2011

YES he was and so am I. At what age did you choose to be hetrosexual? Or maybe you are having an identity denial crisis.

[coreypaul]

07:25 PM on 05/13/2011

LMAO